Beijing

After years of percolating interest from the global tourism sector, Beijing sprang into the international spotlight with the 2008 Olympics. The entire world saw it for what it was—a city as modern as it is ancient, brimming with paradox, intrigue and culture. There are few cities in the world where block-style, Communist-era buildings give way to a spectacle as grand as the Forbidden City or the Temple of Heaven, but that's the kind of place Beijing is.

The local travel hub is Beijing's recently expanded Capital International Airport. Flights connect between this three-terminal facility and practically every major city on earth. As the city's successes mount, business travelers come and go in greater numbers and make use of Beijing airport hotels, many of which are brand new. Hotels near Beijing train station are also popular with travelers, especially those taking the trans-Siberian railway across Moscow.

The government has relaxed the regulations on hotels in Beijing, and foreign tourists can stay anywhere they please. Competition keeps prices reasonable and even the most affordable Beijing hotels offer high standards of comfort and service.

Shopping in Beijing is centered on Wang Fu Jing Street, with its extensive range of department stores. A portion of Wang Fu Jing Street is closed to cars and motorbikes, and some visit purely to escape the traffic. But with retail giants like Oriental Plaza and a few of China's best English-language bookstores, there's plenty to do beyond taking a stroll. Some of the finest luxury accommodation in Beijing is also found in this part of town.

East Chaoyang District is Beijing's wealthiest neighborhood, and it also has some of the city's best nightlife. Visitors make the most of the lively bars and clubs in Beijing by booking accommodation in East Chaoyang, especially around Sanlitun and its side streets. This used to be the only place to party in Beijing, though the options are increasingly diverse these days.

For more information on hotels and landmarks in the different areas of Beijing, click on the interactive Beijing map on the left-hand side of the page.

Recent reviews in Beijing

From 11 days ago

A city which have a lot of historical places with interesting legends and stories. subway ride only
...

this capital city is very polluted indeed, but i would say it is worth going to stroll along the
...

Chang an avenue and national opera house is worth trying. if you have enough time, these places are must-go including forbidden city, heaven temple, jingshan park, summer palace, great wall and many interesting hutong alleys
we walked twice on chang an avenue in a sunny day of winter one never experienced such a wide and super grand street with nice buildings alongside like telegraph building, ethnic building, central-south-sea governor house
national opera hous, ppl's conference hall, tian an men square, and many others.....

Beijing is really amazing city. the places you must to go:
Forbidden City, Tiantan Park (temple of
...

heaven), Summer Palace, Great wall at badaling, Wangfujing street, Xidan Minzu building (market for good dealing price), 798 art zone, world park, hou hai (lake with surrounding bar). i suggest 6/7 days to walk around best place in beijing.

Beijing has a lot to see with the long history and culture. Very interesting if you want to learn
...

about the Chinese Culture. A lot of things are still only in Chinese. It is also very crowded everywhere. A lot of time is needed for each tourist spot with the size of attraction and the crowd. For the food, there are many nice food if you are wlling to pay. Otherwise there will be a concern of safety with cheaper food. Dont expect things to be very cheap or cheap. The air is quite polluted as well(I heard most of the time).

Check the air quality before you go, I got a nasty infection.
The fakes market at 3.3 Sanilum is a
...

good place to visit for cheap shopping, but if there is a conference on, it will be empty!
The Hutongs are worth a visit, see authentic China can be.
Taxis are cheap only around 23p a mile, but make sure you have the address in Chinese, as they don't speak English!

Beijing is charming and full of live. It is also very surprising, you find a building hundreds of
...

years old in harmony with a new super modern skyscrappers. It is full of huge streets with colourful lights. It is very easy to move around. The hutongs are my favourite area of the city and the food is absolutely delicious! One of my favourite cities so far

There are lot people are telling about pollution. I will not as that is given and off course govt is
...

working to find some solution and it is not easy.
I would say Beijing is a must visit city, when you go to Great Wall you feel from inside, that is one attraction you cannot find any where in the world but you need to come to Beijing